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'Amazing Race Canada' host: You're going to see the strongest team win Canadian Olympic skeleton racer Jon Montgomery is shown at his home in Calgary on Tuesday, July 2, 2013. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougalNick Patch, The Canadian Press Published Thursday, June 26, 2014 7:13AM EDT TORONTO -- Though the first season of "Amazing Race Canada" was such a ratings success that CTV rushed to renew as if sprinting to the mat, host Jon Montgomery can't help but see one area in which the show needs to improve as it heads into its sophomore year. The host, he says, needs to be better. "Obviously I need lots of work to continue to find my voice and my pace and my rhythm and my feel for the show," Montgomery told The Canadian Press just before the teams were to begin racing. "Just becoming, I guess, more aware of what my role in this production is all about. As I become more familiar with what people are wanting of me, and how I can breathe in more of my personality to it, I'll maybe feel better about the job that's been done in the future, as we go along. "I'm definitely trying to grow with the show. And to think I've got it dialled and I'm Mr. Host With the Most would be -- oh my God, a gross overstatement. "I think," he added, "that's when you get complacent in life and you don't continue to grow." Heading into the show's first season, the flame-haired 35-year-old was best-known to Canadians as the skeleton racer who celebrated his gold medal victory at the 2010 Vancouver Games by marching down the street, bellowing "O Canada" and swigging beer straight from a pitcher. As host, Montgomery's supersonic vocal delivery -- he was an auctioneer, after all -- and chipper demeanour set him in stark contrast from Phil Keoghan's coolly stoic approach to hosting the popular American version of the show. As far as what he specifically wants to work on, Montgomery feels he might be capable of drawing more out of the "mat chats," otherwise known as the brief, sometimes emotionally charged interactions between the host and the teams finally reaching their goal in each episode. "Having a better idea of my role and what's expected of me, I hope to be able to have some honest, legitimate conversations with the racers and find out what's making them tick," he said. Montgomery was speaking before the second "Amazing Race Canada" -- which premieres July 8 on CTV -- had actually begun, but he felt he could make certain declarations about the upcoming season with certainty. For one thing, he promised a "gnarlier" slate of challenges -- a threat that qualifies as almost sadistic for those who remember watching agonized teams dig through truckloads of lentils to locate tiny stuffed moose. And for those who felt somewhat cheated by the first season's outcome -- the Winnipeg pair of Tim Hague Sr. and Jr. triumphing despite having finished last in two separate legs -- he was hopeful the show's second instalment would follow a different story arc. "The Tims from last year, I don't think, were an imminent threat," he said candidly. "I think Tim and Tim, they got lucky. They were almost eliminated twice. They got saved by non-elimination legs. And the only leg they ultimately won was the last one. It's the only one you need to win but in that breath, I don't think Tim and Tim were the strongest team (even though) they were the ultimate winners. "I think this season you're going to see the strongest team win," he added. "I'll put money on that right now." Going into the first season, Montgomery was still harbouring Olympic ambition and planned to tailor his training regimen to the show's demanding travel schedule. That's no longer a concern, given that Montgomery decided to retire from skeleton racing after failing to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Though he really prefers not to use the word "retire." "I'm 35 -- I don't really consider myself retired. I consider myself an athlete that quit doing athletics or at least competitive sports." Well, even "quit" is a strong word, given Montgomery's fondness for pondering his next athletic move. "I've always mused about how awesome it would be to train for a sport where you can sit down and fire at targets. ... Maybe pistol shooting is in my future?" he said with a smile. "Maybe if they bring mixed curling into the Olympics, myself and my wife can become avid curlers. "But I can't just let the competitive spirit die." Originally from Russell, Man., Montgomery and his wife Darla -- also a skeleton racer -- recently moved from Calgary to Victoria. And touring about his new home again got Montgomery's imagination percolating. "I saw a lawn bowling green. I was like, lawn bowling? I'd love to go lawn bowling. So it's going to be me and the blue-haired ladies and the white-haired gentlemen in white pants, white shirts. "I'm going to be out there lawn bowling with the 80-year-olds in Victoria this (year). I can't wait. I'm looking forward to it. That's going to be my real retirement. A blue leisure suit."

Olympic gold medallist, beer auctioneer and television host Jon Montgomery is adding adventure traveller to his many titles. He wants you to join him and his wife on an upcoming trek.

The 2010 men’s Olympic skeleton champion and host of television’s “The Amazing Race Canada” is leading a 14-day, 500-kilometre bike trip in November through Central America.

He and wife Darla, also a former skeleton racer, are sliding head first into the world of eco-travel with WaterAid Canada. The organization works to provide clean water and sanitation to places in the world without access to either.

The bike trip is the first of five “Bucket List Adventures” the Montgomerys will undertake for WaterAid over the next few years with the goal of raising $1-million for clean-water projects.

“We’re stepping out of some comfort zones,” Montgomery told The Canadian Press. “We’re not even cyclists yet.

“I’ve never been to Central America to do any type of adventure activities. This is going to be cycling through the jungle and rainforest and taking a float plane ride into the northern autonomous regions. This is going to be as out-of-the-box adventure as I’ve really ever gotten before.”

The trip itinerary, which can be seen on the website wateraidcanada.com, starts in Costa Rica and ends in remote northern Nicaragua to see WaterAid projects there.

There’s room for 16 people on the trip and there are spots still available, said Montgomery.

“Certainly that’s achievable with social media today; there’s all kinds of opportunities to reach out and raise money,” Montgomery said. “If you don’t join us on this trip, you can certainly do initiatives in your community.

“You can donate and you can definitely raise awareness through social media and just spreading the good word.”

The Montgomerys will host a series of similar trips for WaterAid Canada, including a hiking trek in Nepal in 2016, a Zambezi river paddle in 2017, another Kilimanjaro trip in 2018 and a Cambodia bike trip in 2019.

WaterAid Canada raised a combined $400,000 via two similar trips to Mount Kilimanjaro recently. One was hosted by television personality Ben Mulroney.

WaterAid’s projects are designed to be low-tech and sustainable. Installing metal roofs on schools with rainwater catch and containment systems to provide clean washing water is one example.

Letting gravity do the work by running pipe from a lake or river at higher altitude provides access to clean water a community might not otherwise have.

“Our people on the ground tell us what’s culturally suited to that community,” WaterAid senior communications manager Graham Milner said.

“In many parts of the world, it’s not about there not being clean water around. It’s being able to access it. We don’t rely on filters or things that tend to break down and need to be replaced. We have simple technologies that have shown over time they’re sustainable,” he said.

“There’s over 650 million people that don’t have access to clean water and 2.3 billion people that don’t have access to a basic toilet. This is the most preventable, yet deadly, issue that the world is facing right now.”

Montgomery won Olympic gold in skeleton at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. The 36-year-old from Russell, Man., gained folk-hero status in Canada by auctioning off a pitcher of beer in downtown Whistler after his race.

He and Darla Deschamps married in 2011. She was climbing the ranks in women’s skeleton when she suffered a career-ending concussion.

Montgomery says their involvement with WaterAid Canada evolved out of his work with Ducks Unlimited, which endeavours to preserve wetlands and waterfowl habitat, as well as Right To Play, which promotes play to educate and empower children.

He’s certainly accustomed to travel as host of “The Amazing Race,” but the couple, who live in Victoria, will journey well off the beaten path over the next few years.

“We’re stepping into it,” Montgomery said. “It’s an opportunity to do some good while, you know, continuing to try and push the boundaries of where we feel comfortable.

“It’s kind of the vein in life in which I’d like to continue to pursue. This hopefully is going to be the beginning of a new chapter for Darla and I, doing adventurous type stuff.”

TORONTO - Eight-time Juno winner Jann Arden is teaming up with Olympic gold medallist Jon Montgomery to host this year's Juno Awards.It will be the second time as host for the Calgary-born pop singer, who was MC for the 1997 show in Hamilton.It will be Montgomery's debut in the spot -- after sharpening his skills as host of "Amazing Race Canada" for three seasons.

Arden says she's already feeling chemistry with Montgomery even though they just met this week.Some of the country's top acts are lined up to perform at this year's Junos, including the Weeknd, Alessia Cara, and Shawn Mendes.The show airs from Calgary on April 3 on CTV.

An otherwise social and affable guy – the crew calls him “Monty” – Amazing Race Canada host Jon Montgomery is deliberately not friendly with the contestants.

“I’m very stand-offish,” the former Winter Olympic gold medalist says. “I was seated next to (eventual co-winner) Tim Jr. on a flight by chance in Season 1. And the host of the show can’t be sitting next to one of the racers on a flight.

“Of course, we switched seats. The only time I really interact with racers is on the pit-stop mat.”

He takes no part in the selection process either – which means the 10 teams that embark on Season 4 of The Amazing Race Canada this week are as new to him at taping time as they are to us.

“They’re a surprise to me every season. We’ve got an amazing group that does the casting. And if you’re an individual that travels the country from coast to coast, there’s going to be conflicts of interest.

“In Canada there’s six degrees of separation from everybody. I’m sure if I looked close, if they’re in Manitoba, I guarantee you could connect them to me in two separations,” the Russell, Man., native says.

“And you don’t want to be involved in the screening process and have somebody not make the cut because you know their uncle’s brother’s dog’s sister’s cousin.”

He cites as an example, the “hockey players” and Season 2 runners-up Meaghan and Natalie. “We’re from the same world. It would be terrible for me to say, ‘I’ve met Meaghan and Natalie before. They can’t be on the show.’ And I had met them before, just in passing.”

Montgomery is, however, a student of how they play the game. Brawn seems to have played a part in the past two season’s winners – the buff Hamilton bros Gino and Jesse in a race with wrestlers Nick and Matt last year and athletic Parry Sound boys Mickey and Pete winning against Meaghan and Natalie. No woman has been on a winning team to date.

“The girls could easily have won,” Montgomery says of the hockey players. “They won eight legs of the race beforehand. They didn’t have more brawn than Mickey and Pete. The one piece of the puzzle they had to win eight legs was mental preparedness and the ability to work under pressure. They weren’t physical leviathans. They were strong girls, but they’re not superhuman.”

As for last season, much-less-buff (but very entertaining) brothers Sean and Brent were in the final three. And, Montgomery says, they didn’t lose because they didn’t match up physically.

“It was that one stunt on top of BC Place (riding a bicycle on a plank hundreds of feet up). Sean couldn’t get his head around the heights. That was a mental obstacle, not a physical one.”

And then there’s the out-of-country travel. Winnipeggers Brian and Cynthia were eliminated in Kolkata, India, last year. “I’d never experienced heat like that before,” Montgomery says. “Probably not a lot of Canadians have experienced 45 degree heat. I don’t think Brian and Cynthia dealt with the foreign shock as well as some of the others. Now, I think teams are more mentally prepared to leave the country at some point.”

The ex-skeleton racer jokes about his own physical training for the show. “I start eating a bag lunch every day a month before so I become used to eating unbalanced meals.”

In fact, he says he kind of envies the frenzied activity of the contestants.

“For a young man like me, seemingly young, I felt like my mental health maybe suffered when I became a retired athlete,” he says. “It wasn’t even tangible. It was like that joy you got from training was diminished and gone.

“My life is kind of evolving and I'm figuring out what it all means.” Evolving more quickly as it turns out. “My wife (fellow Winter Olympian Darla Deschamps) and I are expecting a baby in August. So yeah, things are changing. You’d think from the timing of this race and our schedule that we’d planned it. But no, we just got lucky.

“I expect things will be kind of the same but different. I usually put Darla to bed and have ‘Jonny time.’ That might change into a ‘first feeding’ I do myself.”

1) Moment with Jim Park (Dday veteran) S2E72) Moment with greeters: First Nations greeter in Vancouver S1E23) Four moments are listed (these are Jon's personal fav things he did): Bungee jumping of Macau Tower S2E4, Kicking field goal with Roughriders in Regina S1E5, Standing at centre court at the Air Canada Center in Toronto S3E1, Skating at the Winnipeg Jets arena S2E6.4) Nicole not quitting in the Yukon S2E55) Ope jumping of the plank in Toronto S3E1.